The protest was led by Marwan Barghouti, 58, a leader from the mainstream Fatah
movement of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, serving five life
terms after being convicted of murder in the killing of Israelis in a
2000-2005 uprising known as the Second Intifada.

In an opinion piece in TheNew York Times on Monday, Barghouti said a strike was the only way to gain concessions after other options had failed.

"Through our hunger strike, we seek an end to these abuses...
Palestinian prisoners and detainees have suffered from torture, inhumane
and degrading treatment and medical negligence. Some have been killed
while in detention," he wrote.

Israel denies Palestinian inmates are mistreated and Public Security
Minister Gilad Erdan said the Barghouti-led protest was "prompted by
internal Palestinian politics and therefore includes unreasonable
demands".

Opinion polls suggest Barghouti is the top contender to succeed Mr Abbas as president.

Palestinians consider those held in Israeli jails as national heroes.
Long-term mass hunger strikes by Palestinian prisoners are rare, but in
past cases of individual inmates who stopped eating for weeks,
detention terms were shortened or not renewed after they were
hospitalised in critical condition.

Mr Erdan said a field hospital would be erected next to one prison -
an apparent move to preempt transfers to civilian medical facilities,
which could draw wider media attention.